Jeffrey Peters

1956 - 2025

Jeffrey Peters

December 11, 1956 - July 27, 2025

Jeffrey Howard Peters (1956–2025)

Jeffrey H. Peters, age 68 of Mellen, Wisconsin passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Jeff was born on December 11, 1956 in Ashland, Wisconsin to Howard "Bud" A. and Margaret E. (Lee) Peters.

Jeff grew up in Mellen, Wisconsin and attended Mellen High School, graduating in 1975. On November 9, 1977, he married his high school sweetheart Mary Jane Brecke. They moved to the Madison area where he studied photography at MATC while Mary studied nursing. In 1991, he gained a best friend when their daughter Jill was born. He had three golden retrievers over the course of his life: Ginger, Kona, and Jordan. He was rarely seen without a dog by his side, and he also loved Jill's golden retriever Shadow.

Everywhere he went and in everything he did, Jeff brought a sense of humor. His sharp, dry wit could make anyone laugh and turn strangers into friends instantly. Hilarious and gregarious, he had many friends who remember him fondly, some by his nickname "Otis". His energy and excitement for life were contagious and shone through in his many hobbies and pursuits.

Jeff was always on the move, exploring places near and far. He loved going on day trips close to Mellen with Mary, as well as long road trips, especially to the Gulf of Mexico in the wintertime. One place he cherished most was Sand Island on Lake Superior. From a young age, he, with his dad and family, made trips to the island's West Bay Club Lodge, an Adirondack-style 1913 building owned by the Peters family until its purchase by the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Bud kept a lifetime lease with the park service, and it fell to Jeff to maintain the property with the help of the Dave Wilcox family. In a Zodiac inflatable boat, Jeff and Mary took Jill as a small baby for her first visit to the lodge. For decades, Jeff, Mary, and Jill visited and maintained the lodge. Notably, close friend Mark Ellias and family shared a passion for visiting and maintaining the lodge, plus many other friends and Peters family members stepped up to help. In 2015, the lodge was entered in the National Register of Historic Places thanks to efforts by Jeff, his father, the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy, and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore staff. He was truly at home on the water and navigated his Boston Whaler with ease on the Big Lake.

In addition to Sand Island and Lake Superior, Jeff loved photography and writing. He put his skills to use as a journalist and his work was published in the Ashland Daily Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Timber Producer (fitting as the son of a logger), Ironwood Daily Globe, Business North, and the Catholic Herald. His gifts for connecting and writing helped him bring stories to life. He was always taking photos wherever he went, and especially felt joy capturing moments in nature. Jeff's passion for storytelling led to the publishing of historical logging, hunting, and Lake Superior calendars and of The ECHO, a newspaper devoted to preserving the history of northern Wisconsin. He also lent his passion for historic preservation to the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy. Close friend and fellow Islander Bob Nelson said of him, "Jeff remains forever to me a West Bay Club Sand Islander. We spent many hours talking about our islands, our fathers (crying and laughing) while creating the vision and mission of the Conservancy. I remain so fortunate to have had the privilege to know this fine gentleman."

Later in life, his passion for historic preservation continued. Beginning in 2020, Jeff worked as a photo editor and advisor with great friend and fellow Sand Islander, Bob Dahl, and his sister and fellow visionary Barb, editing two books, The Islander and Sand Island Sagas. Another passion project was preserving the historic Mellen State Bank. In 2020, he helped secure funds to purchase the bank and save it from demolition. He established and served as the executive director of the Mellen Brownstone Center, a nonprofit with the goal of "renovating the 1902 brownstone for the citizens of the Mellen area community and for visitors to share more about the rich history of this area and surrounding region and community of Mellen." Jeff was truly humming with ideas for how the space could preserve history and enrich the community. His efforts protected the building from destruction and his vision will be carried forward by the board of the Mellen Brownstone Center.

Jeff also loved golf, Wisconsin Badgers sports, and music. He enjoyed spending time in the woods, especially tinkering around his property on Meder Lake. He and Mary enjoyed many travels to many places. He loved Mary and was always coming up with ideas for trips. They visited Prince Edward Island three times, which she loved as an avid reader of Anne of Green Gables. He loved and cared deeply for his daughter Jill and said that raising her was the joy of his life. He took great pride in her attending UW-Madison and pursuing a career with the National Park Service. He and Mary made a point of visiting her in Madison and at various stops along her path: Fire Island National Seashore, Olympic National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, to name a few.

Jeff was small in stature (he was always quoted, "I'm 5' 4" but I play ball like I'm 5'6""), but everything he did was big. He felt large feelings, thought deep thoughts, and held high hopes. Jeff's creativity was evident in the goals and ideas he had, which he relayed with infectious enthusiasm. He was never afraid to try anything he believed in. His family and friends are left with great sorrow, memorable stories, and most of all, substantial love.

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Margaret. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Brecke) Peters, daughter Jill (Mark Rippke) Peters, siblings Gregg (Sharon Heinzen) Peters, Terry (Kaye Ortman) Peters, Barb (Götz Graefe) Peters, and Patty (Rudy) Piotrowski. He is also survived by friends near and far, too numerous to list.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be mailed to Jill and Mary Peters at 31354 Long Lake Road, Mellen, Wisconsin 54546.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Mountain Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ashland and Mellen, WI.